Interest Groups

June 19 hike

Meet at 9:30 at the Holland Lake Trailhead at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan (Cliff Road and Lexington Avenue).

June Book Club I

Beth Bedell will lead the discussion of Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 16.

June Photo Club

Lunch at the Great Dragon at 11:30am  for those who are interested.

‘Mrs. Dalloway’ is FF Book Club selection for July 14

In a departure from its regular schedule, UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will be meeting on the THIRD Friday in July, to discuss Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel Mrs. Dalloway.

June 5 Hike

Let's meet at Longfellow Grill (West River Road and Lake Street) at 9:30 am for a 5 mile hike heading north and crossing the Franklin Avenue Bridge.

‘Gilgamesh: A New English Version’ is FF Book Club selection for May

Stephen Mitchell’s Gilgamesh: A New English Version, published in 2004, has been acclaimed by scholars and critics alike as a lithe, muscular rendering of the epic of Gilgamesh, first published 5,000 years ago.

Book Notes | ‘Miss Benson’s Beetle’

Event Date: May 19, 2023, at 2:00 PM

The power of friendship, the destructive impact of war, and genuine appreciation of the natural world are the overriding themes in this quirky, historical novel about an unlikely expedition by two women in search of an elusive golden beetle.

Family Stories—Open Discussion

Event Date: May 17, 2023, at 10:00 AM

The May 2023 UMRA Family History Interest Group ZOOM presentation was an open discussion and question/answer session that covered a wide range of topics.

Photo Club May Photo Shoot

The UMRA Photo Club is planning a photo shoot at the Franconia Sculpture Park. Lunch before at the Taylor's Falls Drive-In, if you are interested.

Hike Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul

Join the UMRA Hiking Club for a scenic hike along the Mississippi River through Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul on Monday, May 15.

When Will the Medicare Advantage Bubble Burst?

Event Date: May 8, 2023, at 1:00 PM

Recording spreads awareness to rein in the Medicare Advantage (MA) privatized system, and protect traditional Medicare funding.

Hike Moir Park in Bloomington

On Monday, May 1, the UMRA Hiking Club will meet at Moir Park in Bloomington for a 4.5-mile hike along Nine Mile Creek on grass, wood chips, and paved trails.

'Empire Falls' is Fourth Friday Book Club selection for April

UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will meet April 28 to discuss Empire Falls by Richard Russo, winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is a familiar story of shuttered factories, failed businesses, and a diminished civic and cultural community.

Pieranna Garavaso and Lory Lemke's visit to Pavia and Verona, Italy

Event Date: April 26, 2023, at 10:00 AM

Pieranna Garavaso and Lory Lemke, retired professors of philosophy at UMM, took us on an incredible visit to Pavia and Verona, Italy.

Book Notes | ‘Elephant Company’

Event Date: April 21, 2023, at 2:00 PM

Set in Burma after World War I, this “spellbinding” true story about James Howard Williams and his love for elephants provides lessons in courage, trust, and gratitude.